Bottle-carrying device



April 1949. c. D. POWELL BOTTLE CARRYING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1946 M 0 w m x A D T Q 6 Y B six-bottle home carrying units.

Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE-CARRYING DEVICE Carlyle D. Powell, Perry, Iowa, assignor of onethird to G. R. Rex and one-third to Gladys Polson, both of Des Mcines, Iowa Application November 8, 1946, Serial No. 708,532

2 Claims. i

This invention relates generally to bottle carrying devices and in particular to a bottle carrying device comprised of separate carriers adapted to be releasably locked together in a package unit for bulk handling purposes.

In the handling of bottled soft beverages for retail sale in grocery stores and the like, it is a usual practice to carry the bottles in bulk containers or cases for transport from a bottling Works to the point of sale, and then to place the bottles in carriers adapted to hold six bottles, for home carrying purposes. Many of the home carrying containers now in use are of a cardboard construction. However, their use necessitates removing the filled bottles from the bulk containers and placing them in the individual or Likewise, on return of the empty bottles, these bottles must again be returned from the individual carriers to the bulk containers.

Further, the cardboard containers are easily damaged, torn, or weakened by moisture, and after being used several times are generally disposed of. Empty bottles, therefore, are often returned to stores in paper sacks with resultant inconvenience and bottle breakage.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved bottle carrying device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrying device comprised of individual carriers capable of being relatively assembled and releasably locked together into a package unit for a bulk handling of the bottles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrying device comprising home carrying units of a metal construction, and a single locking device capable of holding the home carrying units together for transport between a store and a bottling works.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrier device adapted to be separated into a plurality of carrier units each of which carries six bottles, whereby the bottles can be handled in bulk for shipment to stores and then divided into six bottle units for retail sale.

A particular feature of this invention is found in the provision of a bottle carrier device comprised of four carrier units each .of which is of an open wire construction and capable of holding six bottles. The units are-of a generally rectan'gular shape and arrangeable in a side by side grouped relation. A locking device has four upright arms corresponding to the carrier units, which are receivable within the inner adjacent 2. corners of the grouped carriers and extended above the top level of the units.

A ring carried in a loop at the free end of one of the arms is adapted to encircle the free ends of the remaining upright arms to hold the arms against spreading apart.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a home carrier unit showing the locking device of this invention in assembly relation therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjacent corners of four carrier units, illustrated in Fig. l, which are locked together by the locking device of this invention to provide for their handling as a single package;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view as seen on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan diagrammatic showing of the carrier units in a grouped relation; and

Fig. .5 is a perspective View of the locking device.

With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated in Fig. 1 a home carrying bottle unit of anall wire construction, designated generally as H), and adapted to hold six bottles, one of which is indicated in dotted lines at 15.

The unit l0 includes a pair of upright side frames ll, of a rectangular shape, connected across their upper and lower corners by wire end members l2 and I3, respectively. An intermediate longitudinally extended upright frame l4, similar to the upright side frame It is connected between the end members i2 and 13. The side frames II and intermediate frame I 4, are connected across their upper sides It by longitudinally spaced transverse partition members I1 which, with the upper sections l6 of the frames II and I4, constitute a top frame for the unit H! having six bottle receiving openings id.

The lower end members I3, between the lower sections 19 of the upright frames H and M, are connected together by wire bottle supporting members 21-, upon which the bottles rest after being received through the openings l8, as illustrated for the bottle in Fig. 1.

It is seen, therefore, that the unit it] is of a substantially rectangular shape having a top frame comprised of the partition members 11, the end members 92 and the upper sections l6 of the upright frames H and I4; and a lower frame comprised of the supporting members 2!, the end members 13, and the lower sections 19 of the upright frames l I and I4.

Further, the four corners of the unit Ill are of an open construction, with each thereof including an end section 22, a top section I6 and a lower section IQ of the side upright frames H, and the end members l2 and 13.

To carry the unit l0, there is provided a substantially inverted U-shaped handle 23 having loops 24 formed at the free ends thereof and slidably supported for up and down movement on the end sections 26 of the intermediate upright frame [4. The legs of the handle 23 are arranged at opposite sides of the upright frame I4 so as to stabilize the unit l against tilting movement while it is being carried.

For home carrying purposes, the handle is extended upwardly until the loops 24 are engaged with the top end members l2, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby the grip portion 21 of the handle 23 is located above the upper ends of the bottles I so as to be readily grasped without interference from the bottles.

In a bull; handling of the bottles the units are arranged in a side by side relation with one of their corners positioned about a common point so as to be closely adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig. 4. As a result the units l0, when grouped in this manner, form a single bulk container adapted to hold twenty-four bottles.

The carriers ID are locked together in this grouped relation, for package or bulk handling, by the provision of a locking device (Fig. 5) which includes a pair of U-shaped wire members 3| and 32. The U-member 3| is arranged within the U-member 32, at right angles to the U-member 32, and with their base sections 33 connected together, as by welding, intermediate the ends thereof. The base sections 33 thus constitute a common base member for the locking device, with the legs 34 of the U members 3| and 32 being extended upwardly therefrom in a spaced relation substantially 90 apart so as to define a square. The free end of the leg, indicated as 34a for the U member 3|, is integrally formed with a loop 36 through which a ring member 31 is loosely extended. The free ends 38 of the remaining legs 34 are bent outwardly and upwardly away from each other.

In the assembly of the lockin device with the carrier units [0, the legs or arms 34 are extended upwardly through and within the inner adjacent corners 40 of the carrier units ID, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to be in a parallel relation with the end sections 22 of the upright side frames l I. The arms 34 are of a length such that when the bottom frames of the carrier units [0 are in supported positions on the base sections 33 of the locking device, the free ends of the arms 34 are extended upwardly above the top sides or frames of the carrier units [0. The ring 31 is then moved to an encircling position about the free arm ends 38, to releasably hold the arms 34 against spreading apart, whereby the carrier units ID are releasably locked together in their grouped relation.

To remove the locking device the ring member 31 is tipped or moved out of its encircling relation with the leg free ends 38, and the carrier units ID are merely lifted upwardly until their lower sides or frames are clear of the locking device. It is thus Seen that the carrier units ID, with the locking device in an upright position, are readily lowered into an assembly position with a corresponding arm 34 and then locked together for package handling by the ring 31, and are then removed from the locking device, on release of 4 the ring 31, by merely being lifted upwardly therefrom.

From a consideration of the above description it is seen that the invention provides a bottle carrying device which is comprised of a plurality of home carrying units capable of being locked together for package or bulk handling by a single locking device, and readily disassociated to provide for their individual handling for home carrying purposes.

As a result the handling of bottles from a bulk container to individual home carrying units is completely eliminated. Also the home carrying units are of an all metal construction to provide for their repeated use over long periods of time without replacement.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications can be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bottle carrier device including four separate carriers rectangular in shape having corners of an open construction and adapted to be arranged in a side by side relation with one of their corners grouped about a common point, means for releasably locking said carriers in said grouped relation for handling as a unit, including a pair of U-shaped members arranged one within the other in planes apart, means connecting together the base portions of said U- members, with the legs of said U members being in a spaced relation providing for their insertion through said carriers within one of said last named corners thereof, and of a length such that their free ends project above said one corner when the lower ends of said corners are in supported positions on said base portions, and means for releasably connecting together the free ends of said legs.

2. In a bottle carrying device including four separate carriers rectangular in shape and of an open wire construction, means for releasably holding said carriers together in a grouped relation in which one of their corners are adjacent to each other, including a pair of wire U-shaped members arranged in planes normal to each other and having their base portions connected together intermediate the ends thereof, with a leg on one of said U-members having an outwardly extended loop at the free end thereof, and the free ends of the remaining three legs being bent upwardly and outwardly, said legs being relatively spaced apart to provide for their insertion through said carriers at the common corners thereof and of a length such that their free ends extend above said corners, and a ring member on said p movable to an encircling position about the free ends of said legs.

CARLYLE D. POWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,948,202 Chapman Feb. 20, 1934 2,311,723 Anderson Feb. 23, 1943 

